About and Feedback

Welcome to Hiking Shtick! Just a few notes about the site and me…

What this site is…a blog about hiking/camping/backpacking gear, trips, and other related thoughts. It’s primarily a place where I can gather and store my thoughts, reports, and reviews, while also sharing with interested folks surfing for backpacking information. I enjoy writing about my favorite passion even if no-one ever reads it…helps to organize my thoughts.

What this site is not…a how to guide or training manual for spending time in the wild. There is a wealth of knowledge you can gain from other sites and great books on the subject.

Who I am…a relatively experienced hiker and backpacker, who has been walking in the wilderness long enough to know I have a lot still to learn. A regular guy with a full time job who has been going on back country trips since the early 80’s for 2 to 7 nights (and a few longer ones). A walker with a love for the woods and a proud Scot and even prouder naturalized US citizen.

Who I am not…an expert or industry rep, a long-distance backpacker/thru-hiker etc. There are many of those experts with a great deal of knowledge out there and I will gradually build this site to add links to several of my favorites.

Ethics….I have no ties to any company or person in the industry and have purchased all my own equipment through Fall 2016. Since then, I have been a member of the Trailspace Review Corps, and occasionally get gear sent to me for independent testing. I comply with their ethics policy and have no direct contact with gear manufacturers, and only keep or give away gear that is not returned (I make no money from the gear or reviews).

If you have any questions or comments , please fill out the form below. I welcome your input or questions and will respond as soon as possible. Thanks!